“Well then, chieftain, I shall give you a simile. For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said.

Once upon a time, the inhabitants of a certain country emigrated. Then one friend said to another, ‘Come, my friend, let’s go to that country. Hopefully we’ll get some riches there!’

‘Yes, my friend,’ the other replied.

They went to that country, and to a certain place in a village. There they saw a pile of abandoned sunn hemp. Seeing it, one friend said to the other, ‘This is a pile of abandoned sunn hemp. Well then, my friend, you make up a bundle of hemp, and I’ll make one too. Let’s both take a bundle of hemp and go on.’

‘Yes, my friend,’ he said. Carrying their bundles of hemp they went to another place in the village.

There they saw much sunn hemp thread abandoned. Seeing it, one friend said to the other, ‘This pile of abandoned sunn hemp thread is just what we wanted the hemp for! Well then, my friend, let’s abandon our bundles of hemp, and both take a bundle of hemp thread and go on.’

‘I’ve already carried this bundle of hemp a long way, and it’s well tied up. It’s good enough for me, you understand.’ So one friend abandoned their bundle of hemp and picked up a bundle of hemp thread.

They went to another place in the village. There they saw much sunn hemp cloth abandoned. Seeing it, one friend said to the other, ‘This pile of abandoned sunn hemp cloth is just what we wanted the hemp and hemp thread for! Well then, my friend, let’s abandon our bundles, and both take a bundle of hemp cloth and go on.’

‘I’ve already carried this bundle of hemp a long way, and it’s well tied up. It’s good enough for me, you understand.’ So one friend abandoned their bundle of hemp thread and picked up a bundle of hemp cloth.

They went to another place in the village. There they saw a pile of flax, and by turn, linen thread, linen cloth, silk, silk thread, silk cloth, iron, copper, tin, lead, silver, and gold abandoned. Seeing it, one friend said to the other, ‘This pile of gold is just what we wanted all those other things for! Well then, my friend, let’s abandon our bundles, and both take a bundle of gold and go on.’

‘I’ve already carried this bundle of hemp a long way, and it’s well tied up. It’s good enough for me, you understand.’ So one friend abandoned their bundle of silver and picked up a bundle of gold.

Then they returned to their own village. When one friend returned with a bundle of sunn hemp, they didn’t please their parents, their partners and children, or their friends and colleagues. And they got no pleasure and happiness on that account. But when the other friend returned with a bundle of gold, they pleased their parents, their partners and children, and their friends and colleagues. And they got much pleasure and happiness on that account.

In the same way, chieftain, you seem like the hemp-carrier in the simile. Let go of this harmful misconception, chieftain, let go of it! Don’t create lasting harm and suffering for yourself!”